Electrical pilot or signal



(No Model.)

H. H.'FRANKLIN. ELECTRICAL PILOT 0R SIGNAL.

Patented June 16, 1896.

EN TN? A fro/M575? WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. FRANKLIN, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

ELECTRICAL PILOT OR SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561 ,982, dated June 16, 1896. Application filed March 18, 1896. terial No. 583,737. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY II. FRANKLIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Pilots or Signals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to shallow water alarms; and the object thereof is to provide an improved electric alarm device which is adapted to be connected with a ship, steam boat, or other vessel, and by means of which the depth of the water may be easily and quickly determined whenever necessary, a further object being to provide a device of this class which is adapted to indicate at once the fact that a vessel is in shallow water; and with these and other advantageous objects in view the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which- Figure l is a side view of a casing which I employ and which forms a part of my im proved indicator; Fig. 2, a vertical section thereof, and Fig. 3 a diagrammatic view showing the method of its operation.

In the practice of my invention, reference being made to Figs. 1 and 9, I provide a circular casing which comprises two sides A, within which is a circular chamber a, which is provided with non-conductin g sides I) and a nonconducting ring O, and at each side of said circular chamber a is a circular piece or open ring D of copper or other non-conductin g material. I also provide a cable M, through which pass two conductors m, and the cable M is secured in the upper side of the casing, and the conductors m and m pass therethrough and enter the chamber a, and said conductors are separated where they enter the chamber a, and one of said conductors connects with each of the open copper rings D.

Passing centrally through the casing and the chamber a is a shaft B, which has its bearin gs in the sides A and the stuffing-boxes F,

which are designed to prevent any leakage around the shaft, and at the center of this shaft B is mounted a non-conducting block E, which is bolted to the shaft, and at one side of this block E is a loop of copper or any good non-conducting material (2, and the conductor e is made to slide in the operation of the device between the two circular conductors D, and the conductor 6 of the block E is for the purpose of closing the circuit between the conductors D.

Mounted on the extreme ends of the shaft B are arms H, which are brought together below the casing and connected by belts or other devices, as shown at g in Figs. 1 and 2. A pendulum 0r rod His connected therewith, and formed in the inner surfaces of the plates A, near their perimeters, are annular grooves K, which when the plates are bolted together form a circular annular chamber which is filled with prepared asphalt or similar material, and the bolts by which the sides A of the casing are held together pass through this annular chamber, and the asphalt or similar material therein renders the same water-tight.

A groove K is formed in the outer edges of the plates A, and a small cable is secured in this groove around the casing and united with the cable M, through which the conductors pass, and which, in connection therewith, forms one cable, and this cable is wound on a drum 0, as shown in Fig. 3, and said drum may be located in the pilot-house or at any desired point in the vessel, upon the rail side or other convenient part thereof, and connected therewith are conductors m and m, which are connected with two contact-pieces m on the opposite ends of the drum, and with aswitch m, from which extend conductors m and m ,which are in electrical connection with a battery P and an alarm-bell p and it will be understood that the separate conductors in the cable L are connected with the contact plates or pieces on. In Fig. 3 I have also shown stays R, which may be connected with the casing and with the vessel at any desired point, and which are adapted to hold the same securely, and the operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accom panying drawings and the following statement thereof.

It will be understood that the arms G are rigidly mounted on the shaft B, and that in practice the casing is thrown overboard, with the pendulum H suspended therefrom, said pendulum being rigidly secured to said arms G, and if the pendulum H strikes the bottom the operation thereof on the shaftB will cause the circuit to be completed by the loop or arm 6 and the alarm will be given in the pilothouse.

The cable M may be divided into fathoms or provided with a scale of fathoms or feet wherever may be desired, and the amount thereof unwound from the drum may be readily determined at anytime, and thus the amount of water or the depth thereof in which the vessel is moving can also be quickly and easily determined.

lhe vessel, if large, may be provided with two of these devices, and the casing, composed of the partsA and other parts connected therewith, is preferably made of considerable weight, and the object of passing a cable around the casing in the groove K and c011- necting it with the cable M is to give greater strength thereto and to securely support the casing and prevent the loss thereof. These cables may be made of any desired material, and my invention is not limited to the exact form, construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, as it is evident that changes therein and modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An electrical alarm system adapted for use on board a vessel, and for determining the depth of water which consists of a casing which is suspended by a cable through which pass two conductors, said casing being provided with a shaft which passes centrally therethrough and with an arm connected therewith which is adapted to complete the circuit through said conductors, said shaft being provided at each end with arms to which is secured a pendulum, which is adapted to come in contact with the ground, substantially as shown and described.

2. An electrical alarm adapted for use on board a vessel, and for determining the depth of water which consists of a casing which is suspended by a cable, through which pass two conductors, said casing being provided with a shaft which passes centrally therethrough, and with an arm connected there with which is adapted to complete the circuit through said conductors, said shaft being provided at each end with arms to which is secured a pendulum, which is adapted to come in contact with the ground, said cable being wound on a drum, which is located in or upon a vessel, said drum being provided with two conductors, which are in electrical connection, with the conductors in the cable, and also with an alarm and a battery, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an electrical alarm for use in connec tion with vessels, and to determine the depth of water, the combination of a circular casing, a circular chamber formed therein, and a shaft passing transversely therethrough,

arms rigidly connected with each end of said shaft, and a pendulum or rod secured to said arms, said chamber being provided with two open circular conductors, and with a cable which is connected with one side thereof, an d through which pass two conductors which are connected with said circular conductors, and said shaft being provided with an arm on which is mounted a conductor by means of which the circuit is closed, substantially as shown and described.

at. In an electrical alarm for use in connection with vessels, and to determine the depth of water, the combination of a circular casing, a circular chamber formed therein, and a shaft passing transversely therethrough, arms rigidly connected with each end of said shaft, and a pendulum or rod secured to said arms, said chamber being provided with two open circular conductors, and with a cable which is connected with one side thereof, and through which pass two conductors which are connected with said circular conductors, and said shaft being provided with an arm on which is mounted a conductor by means of which the circuit is closed, said cable being wound upon a drum located in or upon a vessel, and provided with two conductors which are in electrical connection with the conductors in the cable and also with a battery and an alarm device, substantially as shown and described. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 11th day of March, 1896.

HENRY H. FRANKLIN. \Vitnesses C. GERST, M. A. KNOWLES. 

